Sentinels in London name. The legendary Big Ben clock tower in London. Where is Big Ben

What do you see in the photo? Big Ben - bell tower in London, part of the architectural complex Palace of Westminster. So they say numerous sites in the Internet. But it's not quite like that. Let's still find out what London's Big Ben is and what is shown in the photo above.

Big Ben is not the same high tower The Palace of Westminster (popularly known as Parliament), which is usually depicted on every second postcard with views of London. And not even the clock that decorates this tower. Big Ben is a bell that is located behind the clock face. It weighs almost 14 tons, is more than two meters high, and has a diameter of about three meters.

Residents of London no longer wince when they hear “Big Ben Tower” from tourists. Although in fact Big Ben is the largest of the six bells of the Westminster Abbey clock tower. It is he who beats the time, hence the confusion. It was christened that way on May 31, 1859, the day the clock was launched. The name was chosen by parliament. Loudest at the meeting dedicated to watches, shouted forest curator Benjamin Hall, a straightforward and vocal man.

There were more jokes about him than about Putin, and behind his back Hall was called “Big Ben.” After another particularly stupid remark from Hall, a voice was heard from the audience: “Let’s call the bell Big Ben and go home!” The audience burst into laughter, but the nickname stuck. According to another, Big Ben was named after Benjamin Count, an extremely popular heavyweight boxer at the time. That's it. And the tower in which the bell hangs, by the way, is called Saint Stephen (St. Stephen's Tower)

In 1844 By decision of the English Parliament, a commission was created to build a tower with an accurate clock. The clock was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison in 1851. He also took up the task of casting the bell of the tower clock. However, wanting to “outdo” the heaviest bell in York at that time, weighing 10 tons (“Great Peter”), he changed the traditional shape of the bell and the composition of the metal alloy.

While the tower was not completed, the bell was installed in New Palace Yard. Cast in 1856, the first bell was transported to the tower on a cart drawn by 16 horses, which was constantly surrounded by crowds as it moved. Unfortunately, during the trial test the bell cracked and required repairs.

Then Denison, who by this time was already called Sir Edmund Beckett, the first Baron of Glimthorpe, turned to the Whitechapel company, which at that time was owned by the foundry master George Mears.

It was rebuilt at a foundry and weighed 13.76 tons. The new bell was cast on April 10, 1858, and after cleaning and the first tests it was transported on sixteen decorated horses to the Parliament building. It took 18 hours to get it up the tower. The bell is 2.2 m high and 2.9 m wide. This new bell, cast by John Warner & Sons to Denison's design, first rang in July 1859.

To the great chagrin of Denison (who considered himself a leading expert not only in the field of bell casting, but also in many other areas), just two months later the bell cracked again. According to foundry manager George Merce, Denison used a hammer that was more than twice the maximum allowable weight.

For three years Big Ben was not used, and the clock rang at its lowest quarter bells until the main bell was reinstalled. To repair, part of the metal on the frame around the crack was cut, and the bell itself was rotated so that the hammer was in a different place. Big Ben rang with a broken, drawn-out ringing and continues to be used today with a crack. At the time of its casting, Big Ben was the largest bell in the British Isles until "Big Paul" was cast in 1881, a 17-ton bell currently housed in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Big Ben and the other small bells surrounding it chime the following words: “Through this hour the Lord protects me and his strength will not allow anyone to stumble.” Every 2 days the mechanism is thoroughly checked and lubricated, taking into account daily temperature and pressure.

But, like any clock mechanism, the clock on the tower of the English Parliament is sometimes late or in a hurry, but even such a small error (1.5 - 2 seconds) forced a solution to be found in due time. To correct the situation, you only need a coin, an old English penny, which, when placed on a 4-meter-long pendulum, accelerates its movement by 2.5 seconds per day. By adding or subtracting pennies, the caretaker achieves accuracy.

1916: For two years during the First World War, the bells were not rung and the dials were darkened at night to prevent attacks by German Zeppelins.

September 1, 1939: Although the bells continued to ring, the dials were darkened at night throughout World War II to prevent attacks by Nazi German pilots.

New Year's Eve 1962: The clock slowed down due to heavy snow and ice on the hands, causing the pendulum to be separated from the movement, as is the design in such circumstances, to avoid serious damage to another part of the movement. So the clock rang New Year 10 minutes later.

August 5, 1976: the first and only truly serious damage. The speed regulator of the ringing mechanism broke down after 100 years of service, and the 4-ton loads unleashed all their energy on the mechanism at once. This caused great damage - the main clock did not run for a total of 26 days over 9 months, it was started again on May 9, 1977. This was the biggest interruption in their work since construction.

27 May 2005: The clock stopped at 10:07 pm local time, possibly due to the heat (temperatures in London reached an unseasonal 31.8°C). They were restarted but stopped again at 10:20 pm local time and remained idle for about 90 minutes before being restarted.

October 29, 2005: The mechanism was stopped for approximately 33 hours for repair and maintenance work on the clock and bells. It was the longest maintenance closure in 22 years.

At 7:00 a.m. June 5, 2006: The clock tower's "quarter bells" were removed for four weeks because the mount holding one of the bells had become severely worn over time and was in need of repair. During the renovation, BBC Radio 4 broadcast recordings of bird calls and replaced the usual chimes with peeps.

August 11, 2007: Six-week maintenance begins. The chassis and “tongue” of the large bell were replaced for the first time since installation. During the repair, the clock was powered not by the original mechanism, but by an electric motor. Once again BBC Radio 4 had to make do with pips during this time.

These watches gained incredible popularity both in England and abroad. In London, many “Little Bens” appeared, small copies of St. Stephen’s Tower with a clock on top. Such towers - something between an architectural structure and a living room grandfather clock - began to be erected at almost all intersections.

The official name of the tower is the "Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster", and it is also called "St Stephen's Tower".

Construction of the 320 pound clock tower began in 1837 with the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne. At this time, the reconstruction of the parliament buildings, damaged by fire in 1834, was underway.

Tower height 96.3 meters (with spire); The clock is located at a height of 55 m from the ground. With a dial diameter of 7 meters and a length of hands of 2.7 and 4.2 meters, the watch has long been considered the largest in the world.

Big Ben's dials face all 4 cardinal directions. They are made from Birmingham opal, the hour hands are cast from cast iron, and the minute hands are made from copper sheet. It is estimated that the minute hands travel a total distance of 190 km per year.

At the base of each of the watch's four dials is the Latin inscription "Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostram Victoriam primam" ("God save our Queen Victoria I").

Along the perimeter of the tower, to the right and left of the clock, is another phrase in Latin - “Laus Deo” (“Glory to God” or “Praise the Lord”).

Until 1912, the clocks were illuminated by gas jets, which were later replaced by electric lamps. The chimes sounded on the radio for the first time on December 31, 1923. In Big Ben, tourists are not allowed to get to the top of the tower, only via a narrow spiral staircase.

334 steps will lead to a small open area, in the center of which is the legendary bell. Its height is more than 2 meters, and its diameter is almost 3 meters.

Big Ben and other small bells seem to contain the following words in their chime: “Through this hour the Lord protects me, and his strength will not allow anyone to stumble.”

After the chimes strike, the first blow of the hammer on Big Ben absolutely coincides with the first second of the beginning of the hour. Every two days the mechanism is carefully checked and lubricated, and it is necessary to take into account Atmosphere pressure and air temperature.

There was a prison in the Tower in which only one person was imprisoned in its entire history, it was Emmeline Pankhurst, a fighter for women's rights. Now there is a monument to her near the parliament.

The clock has become a symbol of the United Kingdom and London, especially in visual media. When TV or film producers want to indicate that the scene is set in Great Britain, they show an image of the Clock Tower, often with a red double-decker bus or black taxi in the foreground. The sound of clocks ringing has also been used in audio media, but Westminster Quarters can also be heard from other clocks or devices.

The Clock Tower is the center of New Year's celebrations in the United Kingdom, with radio and television stations broadcasting its chime to welcome the new year. Similarly, on Remembrance Day for those killed in the First and Second World Wars, the chimes of Big Ben mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and the beginning of two minutes of silence.

ITN's ten o'clock news features an image of the Clock Tower with the chimes of Big Ben marking the start of the news feed. Big Ben's chimes continue to be used during the news feed and all news reports use a graphical base based on the face of the Westminster clock. Big Ben can also be heard before some news headlines on BBC Radio 4 (6pm and midnight, and 10pm on Sundays), a practice dating back to 1923. The sound of the chimes is transmitted in real time through a microphone permanently installed in the tower and connected to the radio and television center.

Londoners who live near Big Ben can hear the thirteen tolls of the bell on New Year's Eve if they listen both live and on radio or TV. This effect is achieved because the speed of sound is slower than the speed of radio waves.

The clock tower has appeared in many films: 1978's The 39 Steps, in which Richard Hannay's character tried to stop a clock (to prevent a bomb from exploding) by hanging on the minute hand of a Western clock; the film "Shanghai Knights" with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson; episode of the Doctor Who story Aliens in London. An animated version of the clock and tower interior were used in the climax of Walt Disney's Big Mouse Detective. In the movie "Mars Attacks!" the tower is destroyed by a UFO, and in the movie "The Avengers" it is destroyed by lightning. The appearance of the "thirteen chimes" mentioned above became the main intrigue in Captain Scarlett and the Mysteron episode "Big Ben Strike Again". In addition, a survey of more than 2,000 people found the tower to be the most popular attraction in the United Kingdom.

sources

When people talk about the symbols of England, they immediately imagine famous tower Big Ben. This is the most popular attraction in the capital of Great Britain and is the hallmark of London.

What is Big Ben"

It is by this name that one of the three towers of the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, located on the banks of the River Thames, is known throughout the world. In fact, this is the name of the 13-ton bell that is located inside it, behind the dial.

Official name modern Big Ben was the "Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster". By decision of the British Parliament, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Queen's reign, this landmark of England was renamed the Elizabeth Tower.

The tower in London with the clock and bells is traditionally popularly called Big Ben. This name explains the origin story.

From the history of the tower

The clock tower, built in 1288 in the historic district of London, Westminster, originally had a completely different appearance. During a big fire it burned down, and another one was actually built in its place.

Architect Augustan Pugin designed the clock tower in neo-gothic style(stretched upward structures, columns, many openwork details, spiers) in order to diversify the appearance of the architectural complex and make it more memorable.

Parliament allocated money for the construction of the clock on the condition that it would be the most accurate in the world. The clock tower got its name in honor of the construction manager Lord Benjamin Hall. He was tall, noisy, loud-voiced, of large build, he was often called Big (big in English) Ben.

Description of the tower

The 96-meter tower, in association with the appearance of the lord, was called Big Ben. The brick tower is topped with a spire and faced with colored limestone. It rises on a 15-meter concrete foundation. There are no elevators here. The clock dials are installed at a height of 55 meters.

But the key to the popularity of Big Ben is not only in the features of the tower as an architectural structure. It is famous primarily for its legendary watches.

Tower clock

Accuracy - the politeness of kings. In London this saying is especially true. Of the several hundred city clock faces in the British capital, only the clock on the Big Ben tower works correctly. They were launched in 1859, and they still keep accurate time.

This watch - the largest in the world. There are four dials on Big Ben, according to the number of cardinal directions, where they naturally look: north, south, west and east.

Each of them is assembled from 312 pieces of glass opal and is enclosed in 7-meter steel frames with gold-plated edge discs. This mosaic and fragmentation gives the appearance of windows. These parts are easily accessible, which allows you to get inside the dials and carry out routine inspections if necessary.

The 2.7 m long hour hands are cast from cast iron, and the 4.2 m minute hands are cast from copper. At the base of each of the four dials is an inscription Latin: "God save our Queen Victoria." This is a kind of tribute to the empress, who ruled the country for more than 63 years. It was during this era that the British Empire reached its peak.

Along the entire perimeter there is an inscription: “Praise the Lord!” The watch is very reliable. During the Second World War, during the bombing of London by German pilots, they continued to work, receiving significant damage to the dials.

Symbol of precision and reliability

How is flawless running ensured and maintained? The watchmaker Edward Dent assembled the clock mechanism. The creators have developed an original mechanism, an important part of which is the bells.

The largest in the Elizabeth Tower is main bell– Big Ben, who gave the name to the entire structure. It was cast by master Edmund Denison.

On a cart drawn by 16 horses, the 16-ton bell was solemnly delivered to the installation site to the jubilation of an enthusiastic crowd. Only the joy turned out to be premature: during the tests it cracked. I had to cast another one, already 13 tons.
It took the whole day to lift the giant up the tower. But after 2 months it also cracked. This time we limited ourselves to repairs that lasted 3 years.

To prevent the crack from spreading, a square cut was made in it. Surprisingly, it was this defect that created the unique resonating sound that distinguishes Big Ben from other bells.

For 150 years it has been ringing regularly every hour. The first blow of the hammer on the bell is accurate coincides with the first second of the beginning of the hour. The small bells surrounding him help him in this. Every 15 minutes they play a tune. Moreover, for each quarter of an hour there is its own composition of bell chimes.

The clock pendulum, which weighs 300 kg and is almost 4 meters long, is separated from the clock mechanism. It swings every 2 seconds.

If the clock decides to “cheat”, then a coin is placed on the pendulum, an old English penny, which speeds up movement by 2.5 seconds per day. After swinging with the coin for a while, the pendulum levels out its motion. Thus, by adding or removing a coin, the caretaker ensures the accuracy of the 5-ton mechanism. One day, when Big Ben fell behind by a second, the keeper almost resigned.

• One day in 1949, the clock suddenly fell behind by a full 4 minutes! This became a real emergency. Everyone began to blame the mechanism, but it turned out that a flock of starlings had settled down to rest on the minute hand of the chimes.
• The weather makes adjustments to the operation of the clock. In 1962 they became heavily icy. Deciding that breaking off pieces of ice was dangerous, experts simply turned off the clock until spring. In 2005, due to the terrible heat, the hands themselves stopped twice.
• On December 31, 1923, the chimes of the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower were heard for the first time on BBC Radio, the largest broadcaster in the world in terms of audience reach. Since then, the sound of Big Ben on this channel has been heard twice a day. Moreover, it is broadcast exclusively live every time, thanks to the microphone installed inside.
• It was Big Ben, located in London, that was chosen to proclaim the beginning of the 21st century on the night of December 31, 2000. This watch - international standard time.
• The British celebrate the New Year to the sounds of Big Ben, and also mark all mournful dates and moments of silence.
• Once upon a time, Big Ben housed a prison for parliamentarians who behaved violently during meetings.
• If there is an evening session of parliament in the Palace of Westminster, the lights at the top of the tower must be turned on. This tradition was invented by Queen Victoria so that she could see with her own eyes that parliamentarians were busy with work.

• For a long time, the London dial was considered the largest in the world, until the record was broken by a clock located on a building in the state of Wisconsin in the USA. But the Americans did not add chimes to their chimes, so Big Ben still holds 1st place in the category “largest four-sided striking clock.”
• Did you know that Big Ben is gradually tilting? Of course, it is far from the indicators of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but the fact remains a fact. The fact is that since the construction, the condition of the soil has changed a lot, which caused the “fall”. The construction of the London Underground's Jubilee line also played a catalytic role in this process.
• As you travel around London, you will come across many smaller versions of Big Ben. “Clones” began to be installed at almost all city intersections.

How does the tower live today?

Travelers from different parts of the world find time to come here and admire the architectural splendor of the tower. And, of course, check the time. Excursions are prohibited here by government decision. The attraction is part of the architectural complex of the building of the current Parliament, the highest legislative body of the country.

The most famous clock in London is Big Ben. Their photos can be seen in many publications, public and photographic. What is this famous landmark? Let's start with the fact that this tower is the largest of the bells that have the honor of being in the Palace of Westminster. In fact, the name does not belong to the tower, but to the bell inside it. It weighs thirteen tons, which exceeds any bell belonging to this palace. The bell itself is modestly hidden behind the clock, which hides it with a dial.

Previously, this landmark was called the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. And six years ago it was decided to change the name to the Elizabeth Tower.

Big Ben in London

Big Ben Clock: history of clocks

The chimes began in the forties of the nineteenth century. It all started thanks to the decision of the architect Charles Barry to attach a new clock tower to the building he was renovating. Charles Berry was occupied by the old Westminster building. However, thanks to the fact that parliament agreed to sponsor the construction, it took place. However, such a decision was preceded by a condition - the clock had to be the most accurate in the country, and its ringing could be heard by everyone in the capital.

Charles Berry

The exterior of the tower was taken care of by Augustus Pugin, who at that time was a recognized master working in the neo-Gothic style, and began developing the design of the tower.

Augustus Pugin

Neo-Gothic was very popular during this period, it allowed a combination of both Gothic and classical styles. In many elements, neo-Gothic is similar to ordinary Gothic, however, these same elements: columns, vaults, spiers, were changed by contemporaries. Gothic became popular in the nineteenth century thanks to the aristocracy. England was full of buildings built in the Gothic style, these buildings were not to be demolished or rebuilt due to their historical significance. Therefore, the new developer had no choice but to repeat the already established style. By the way, because of this fashion, England missed most of the new trends in Europe. For example, lush baroque bypassed her. Moreover, Gothic elements began to appear even in residential buildings, for example, estates.

In the thirty-fourth year of the nineteenth century Palace of Westminster survived the fire. The latter destroyed almost everything, so masters of their craft began restoring the building. The famous clock was launched in the fifty-ninth year of the nineteenth century. From the moment it is launched until every passing second, this amazing mechanism demonstrates precision that is recognized as the standard.

Palace of Westminster

Contemporaries put forward several versions, due to which the watch was so named. The first refers to Benjamin Hall, who supervised the construction, and the second to Benjamin Count, a popular boxer.

Description

The tower itself is a building almost one hundred meters high, the height of a sixteen-story building, and it is impossible for anyone to enter the tower. This precaution is taken due to the lack of elevators and lifts in the structure. If an exception is still allowed, the visitor will have to overcome more than three hundred steps. However, this test is worth the result. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of London. Their diameter reaches seven meters, and the hands – two meters, seven hundred centimeters and four meters, two hundred centimeters.

Cast iron was used for the hour hand and copper for the minute hand. The roof of the tower consists of brick covered with limestone. A spire is installed on top.

Photo of Big Ben in London

In fact, there is no clock in the world more reliable than the one in Big Ben. Their weight is several tons. However, this is not what makes this mechanism outstanding. Behind the flawless operation of the mechanism is a master of his craft - Edward John Dent. He was an outstanding watchmaker and carried on his work until the fifty-fourth year of the nineteenth century. During this process, the watchmaker built a completely new movement with three stages. Thanks to this mechanism, it became possible to separate the pendulum and the heavy clock mechanism.

Edward John Dent

Astronomer George Airey also had a hand in this amazing symbol of London. He planned to adjust the accuracy of not only the clock mechanism but also the bell. Such an idea could only be carried out using the telegraph: a person would contact the observatory in Greenwich and set the bell in motion. This would require a special caretaker on whom the clock depends. In addition, materials were needed that would ensure the reliability of the entire structure. Cast iron was originally used, however, due to the weight of the mechanism, it was replaced with a lighter metal.

George Airey

They got the opportunity to show their exceptional reliability during the war. It was the Second World War that became a great test for the city. Even the bombings with which the Germans terrorized the city could not disrupt their progress. During the war, the tower, roof and two dials were damaged, however, the clock's operation was not disrupted. It was after such events that watches began to be perceived by the people of Great Britain as a symbol of constancy, indestructibility and accuracy.

The precision of this amazing mechanism can be adjusted using a penny coin. If it is placed on a pendulum, the latter will slow down by four tenths of a second per day. To the sounds of these clocks, city residents are accustomed to celebrating the New Year and other significant events.

Big Ben clock

The tower contains a prison room for parliamentarians. It was used when these individuals indulged in inappropriate behavior during meetings. The last time this function was used was for Emmeline Pankhurst. This girl dedicated her life to the fight for the rights of the weaker half of humanity. Subsequently, a monument was dedicated to her, which was erected very close to the place where the events took place.

Emmeline Pankhurst

Typically, church bells are baptized and given names. The bell located in the tower was christened in honor Benjamin Hall. This sir supervised the installation of the mechanism. The bell reaches fourteen tons. This structure is rightfully considered one of the largest in the UK, second only to the bell in St. Paul's Cathedral.

The Big Ben tower itself is part of the complex of attractions at Buckingham Palace. Every day you can meet tourists who want to see the Big Ben clock in London and capture their impressions in photos.

I travel regularly. About three trips a year for 10-15 days and many 2 and 3 day hikes.

Big Ben (Great Britain) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

• Last minute tours to the UK
• Tours for the New Year Worldwide

Previous photo Next photo

The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London is known throughout the world as Big Ben. Meetings of the House of Lords and the House of Commons are held in the Palace of Westminster, in the many kilometers of corridors of the palace it is easy to lose the right direction, there is hardly a person who has visited all its 1200 rooms, but the most famous part of the palace - the clock tower - is known, without exaggeration, to everyone world and is one of the most striking architectural symbols of the city.

The height of the tower is 96 meters; a narrow spiral staircase of 334 steps is hidden inside it. After passing them all, you can get to a small open area where the famous bell Big Ben is located. It is he who strikes the time every hour, and it is his sounds that are transmitted every hour on BBC radio. It was this bell that gave the name to both the clock and the tower itself.

The bell is large: 2 meters in height and 3 meters at the base. The dimensions of the watch are no less striking: its diameter is 7 meters, and the hands are 2.7 and 4.2 m long.

The clock was put into operation on May 21, 1859 (the tower itself was built a year earlier) and to this day is listed as the largest clock in the world. Their four dials are made of opaline glass, bordered by gilded frames and have a Latin inscription, which means “God save our Queen Victoria”. This clock also has global significance: officially the new year on planet Earth begins with the first stroke of Big Ben on January 1.

It is interesting that Londoners living near the Palace of Westminster hear thirteen strikes of the Big Ben bell on New Year's Eve: the effect is due to the fact that the speed of sound is slower than the speed of radio waves.

Unfortunately, the general public does not have the opportunity to climb the Big Ben tower: safety concerns come first. But from time to time members of the press and various important guests of Great Britain get the opportunity to climb it. But even important guests are forced to climb the steps of the stairs on their own: there are no lifts inside the tower.

The Big Ben Clock Tower systematically becomes the “heroine” of many films, personifying the image of London.

In London there is a large number of attractions and recognizable symbols, but one of the most popular is the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, often called Big Ben.

In fact, the name Big Ben refers to the largest bell among the six bells installed inside the tower. The tower itself was previously called the Clock Tower or St. Stephen's Tower, but in September 2012 it was renamed in honor of the reigning Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II. But the name “Big Ben” is still used to refer to the bell, the clock, and the tower itself.

Name

The question of where the name “Big Ben” came from (translated as “Big Ben”) still causes some controversy. Initially, its name referred only to the large bell inside the clock tower.

It is believed that the name of the bell comes from the name of the chief commissioner for construction work, Benjamin Hall. According to another theory, the bell was named after the mid-19th century heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count.

There is also a legend according to which they planned to name the bell Victoria in honor of Queen Victoria, but no documentary evidence has been preserved to confirm this.

Now many people call the name “Big Ben” not only the bell, but the entire tower. In official literature such names are not found, the clock tower and the bell are distinguished, but in the speech of London residents and tourists, Big Ben is the tower of the Palace of Westminster, famous to all people without exception and recognizable throughout the world.

Big Ben Tower

The Big Ben Clock Tower was erected in 1288 at Westminster in London with the money of Ralph Hengham, who was the head of the Supreme Court of the King's Bench. But that tower, along with the old building, was destroyed by fire in October 1834.

After this, the tower we know today was erected as part of the Palace of Westminster, designed by Charles Berry. The parliament building itself was built in the neo-Gothic style. Chief architect Charles Berry handed over the construction and design of the tower to the architect Augustus Pugin.

He considered this project the most difficult of his career. It was the tower project that became O. Pugin’s last project, after which he went crazy and died.

The height of the tower with the spire is 96.3 m, without the spire 61 m. It is made of brick covered with colored limestone; the spire is made of cast iron. The dials in it are located at an altitude of 55 meters.

Access to the inside of the tower is closed to public visits due to security reasons, only various important people or the press sometimes gain access there. There is no lift or special elevator here, so the “lucky ones” who get access inside have to walk more than 300 steps to get to the top.

After the tower was built in London, there were some changes to the ground (in particular due to the laying of the underground line under it), which led to the fact that the tower deviates slightly (by about 220 mm) to the north-west.

Clockwork

The tower clock began its operation on May 21, 1859. The movement of this watch is reliable and accurate. The Big Ben clock is considered the largest four-sided striking clock in the world.

The largest clock without a chime is now located in the USA, in the state of Wisconsin, on the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee: the residents of London were somewhat lucky that they did not lose the palm - in the Allen-Bradley Tower they could not add a chime to the clock.

The watch dial was designed by O. Pugin. The design of the clock mechanism was carried out by the royal astronomer George Airey and the amateur watchmaker Edmund Beckett Denison. The assembly of the clock was entrusted to watchmaker Edward John Dent, who completed his work in 1854.

The watch dials are in iron frames, and they consist of 312 pieces of opal glass. Some of these pieces can be removed by hand and inspected.

While the tower was not completed, until 1859 E.B. Denison had the opportunity to experiment with them: then he invented a double three-stage movement, which provided better separation of the pendulum and the clock mechanism.

The clock mechanism itself weighs about 5 tons. The clock pendulum is located below the clock room in a special windproof box. The length of the pendulum is 3.9 m and its weight is 300 kg. The pendulum moves every two seconds.

The accuracy of the pendulum can be adjusted with 1 pence coins. The idiomatic expression "put a penny", meaning to slow down, comes precisely from the method of tuning a pendulum. When 1 coin is added from above, the pendulum slows down by 0.4 seconds.

There are some dates in the history of clockwork when watches stopped for some reason on purpose or by accident:

• during the First World War, the bells on the tower did not ring for two years, and the dials were darkened to prevent attacks by German troops,
• During the Second World War in London, for the same reasons, the dials were darkened at night, but the bells continued to ring,
• before the New Year 1962, the famous London clock slowed down because there was a lot of heavy snow and ice on the hands, which is why it rang 10 minutes late (after which the design of the clock mechanism was improved),
• On August 5, 1976, the first serious breakdown of the watch took place: the speed regulator of the ringing mechanism broke down (the watch was started again only on May 9, 1977),
• On May 27, 2005, the Big Ben clock stopped twice in a day, after which it was restarted (this is associated with the abnormal heat for this time in London),
• On October 29, 2005, the clock was stopped for 33 hours for maintenance purposes.
• On June 5, 2006, the clock tower bells were removed because the mount holding one of them had worn out.
• On August 11, 2007, maintenance of the bells began, which lasted 6 weeks (during this time the running gear and tongue of the large bell were replaced): the clock at this time ran not from a conventional mechanism, but from an electric motor.

Big Ben Bell

It is the largest bell in the tower that is called Big Ben. It was originally cast in 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by John Warner and Sons and weighed 16 tons. Until the construction of the tower was completed, the bell was located in New Palace Yard.

The bell was brought to the tower on a cart drawn by 16 horses. When trial tests began on the bell, it cracked, necessitating repairs. After its alteration, it began to weigh about 13 tons.

The bell is 2.9 m high and 2.2 m long. The bell first rang in London in July 1859. In September it cracked again due to the hammer being twice the weight allowed.

For three years after this, Big Ben was not used, and only quarter bells rang every 15 minutes. The repair of the bell consisted of turning it over so that the hammer was in a different place. It continues to be used today with a crack.

Big Ben was originally the largest bell in England, but in 1881 the Big Paul Bell, weighing 17 tons, appeared in St. Paul's Cathedral.